This classic baked cheesecake is rich and creamy yet light, sweet without being overly sweet. This is an easy Cheesecake recipe that anyone can make, thanks to a couple of little-but-important tips I’m sharing!
For your next cheesecake, try the stunning Strawberry Cheesecake or famous Basque Cheesecake!
Baked cheesecake – made easy!
This is an easy Cheesecake recipe. Well, I should say, this is a baked cheesecake recipe that’s made easy with a few key tips that make all the difference.
I think some people find the idea of making cheesecakes daunting, especially ones where the biscuit crust comes up the side like this one. But you know what? In my humble opinion, cheesecake is easier to make than cakes.
You don’t need to worry about the cake rising, or even sadder is when it sinks in the middle while it cools (such a let down after thinking you’ve nailed it!). And it’s definitely easier than making pastry.
The risk of failure with baked cheesecakes is lower. There’s no rising agent, no gelatine to set it. If the surface cracks (but it shouldn’t, with my tips! 🙂 ), just hide it under icing sugar and/or a pile of berries – or the biscuit crust cracks a bit.
See? How would anyone know if the surface is cracked?? 😉
Easy Cheesecake recipe tips
Here are my tips to make this classic baked Cheesecake stress free and easy for you to make:
The biscuit crust is stronger than you think. I always stress that the crust is going to crack (especially the walls) but it always surprises me how well it holds together when I’m handling the finished cheesecake. It’s firm but has a little give so it doesn’t crack with the slightest bend.
Invert the base of the springform pan. Though the ridge around the base of the pan is small, it can be a real pain to transfer the cheesecake out of the base onto the serving platter. We can’t flip cheesecake upside down like with cakes!! So make your life easier by inverting the base so it’s perfectly flat so the cheesecake will slide right off onto the platter.
Paper overhang – this also helps remove the cheesecake. Just slide it right off the cake pan base!
Press biscuit crumbs firmly using something flat. The key to a sturdy crust is pressing the biscuit crumbs firmly into the base and up the wall of the cheesecake. Use something with straight walls and a flat base – I use a measuring cup. I use the side of the cup to press the crumbs into the walls and the base to press down.
Easy Cheesecake recipe tips (cont’d)
Don’t over-beat the batter. Unlike cake batters, we don’t want to aerate cheesecake batter to make it rise too much. If you over-beat the batter causing bubbles in the batter, the cheesecake will rise more when baking then when it collapses as it cools, it will crack.
Room temp ingredients – make sure the cream cheese is softened and the eggs are at room temp. This will ensure your cheesecake filling is beautifully smooth as it should be!
Bake on a low temp – helps ensure the surface doesn’t crack.
No water bath – it’s tedious and makes no difference. See this Strawberry Cheesecake for notes and a side by side comparison.
Cheesecake surface shouldn’t crack…. but if it does, don’t worry! Just hide them under berries or cream!!
What this Baked Cheesecake tastes like
The Cheesecake Spectrum is very broad and this version is a classic one that sits in the middle. On one hand, you have cheesecakes that are very dense and creamy which weigh a ton – like a New York cheesecake that uses twice as much cream cheese for the same size cheesecake. Many no-bake cheesecakes have a tendency to be too heavy – unless you use gelatine like in this No Bake Mango Cheesecake.
On the other side of the Cheesecake Spectrum, you have cheesecakes that are so light and airy, it is almost like a souffle. Like this famous Japanese Cotton Cheesecake on my mother’s website, RecipeTin Japan. Then there’s the beautiful Basque Cheesecake with its signature caramelised surface which is also very light.
This one is in between. It is creamy and definitely indulgent, but not dense. The texture is light when you cut into it but the mouthfeel is creamy. It’s sweet but not overly so. I have more of a savoury than sweet tooth so I don’t enjoy extremely sweet desserts too much.
And lastly, a little touch of lemon zest just gives it that perfect finishing tough.
All those words to describe the cheesecake. I should have just said – THIS IS DARN DELICIOUS!!! – Nagi x
Classic Baked Cheesecake recipe – made easy!
Watch how to make it
This is the Strawberry Cheesecake recipe video. The cheesecake is made exactly the same way as in this recipe, but is topped with a Strawberry Sauce.
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Classic Baked Cheesecake
Ingredients
CHEESECAKE BISCUIT BASE:
- 200g / 7 oz Arnott’s Marie crackers or other plain biscuit (Aus) or 28 Graham Cracker squares (Note 1)
- 120g / 8 tbsp unsalted butter , melted
CHEESECAKE FILLING:
- 1 lb / 500g cream cheese , softened (Note 2)
- 2 tbsp plain flour (all purpose flour)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup sour cream (full fat)
- 1 1/2 cups caster sugar (superfine sugar)
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 3 large eggs , at room temperature
TOPPINGS:
- Strawberries, blueberries, raspberries
- Icing sugar / powdered sugar , for dusting
Instructions
PREPARATION:
- Preheat oven to 160°C/320°F (140°C fan).
- Prepare pan – Get a 20cm/8" springform cake tin. Turn the base UPSIDE DOWN (Note 4), butter lightly and place a square piece of parchment/baking paper on the base. Then clip into the springform pan – excess paper will stick out, see photos in post and video. Butter and line the side of the pan.
CHEESECAKE BISCUIT BASE:
- Blitz – Break up biscuits roughly by hand and place in a food processor. Blitz until fine crumbs (Note 5). Add butter, briefly blitz until dispersed and it resembles wet sand.
- Press into pan – Pour into the prepared cake tin. Use a spatula to roughly spread it out over the base and up the walls. Use something with a flat base and vertical edges (I used a measuring cup) to press the crumbs up the wall almost to the top of the sides, and flatten the base.
FILLING:
- Beat cream cheese – Use a mixer or beater to beat the cream cheese until smooth – about 30 seconds on medium high,.
- Finish batter – Add flour, beat until just combined (10 sec). Add vanilla, sour cream, sugar and lemon zest. Beat until just combined (10 – 15 sec). Add eggs one at a time, beat in between until just combined (10 sec each). Don't over beat, we don't want to aerate the batter.
- Bake – Pour into prepared crust. Bake for 55 minutes. The top should be a very light golden brown, not cracked, and near perfectly flat. It should jiggle slightly when you gently shake the pan.
- Cool in the oven with the door open 20 cm / 8" (Note 6), then refrigerate for 4 hours+ in the pan.
- Remove springform pan sides. Use overhang paper to slide cheesecake off the cake pan. Then slide the cheesecake off the paper.
- Serve – Top with berries and dust with icing sugar!
Recipe Notes:
- Australia: Arnott’s Marie Crackers, Arrowroot and Nice are ideal, I’ve made it with all these.
- US: Use 28 squares / 14 full sheets, yes I measured it with my last Graham Cracker packet I brought back from my last trip.
- UK: Digestives are ideal, I LOVE digestives!
Nutrition Information:
More cheesecake recipes
I love a good cheesecake. Proof!
Life of Dozer
The recipe video I shot was a fail because a certain very large-furry-rascal with Giant Paws bumped the tripod while filming so I ended up with 10 minutes of footage of my dirty bench top.
I was extremely cranky with him. Yet look at him, eyeing the cheesecake! He still thinks he’s going to get some!!! Not a chance Dozer, not a chance!!!
Hi Nagi! I’ve done this recipe and it’s great. I’d definitely use the same sugar measure as the basque cheesecake but it’s my own preference. I’d like ask if, in case I want to add brie, should I adjust the amount of fat in the cheesecake? I was thinking of adding a whole triangle of brie in it (+-100gr)
I love my cheesecakes so thought I’d give this a whirl. As some reviews say, it is VERY sweet (and I even reduced some of the sugar). I thought I would like the lemon flavour from the zest but I actually wasn’t a fan and prefer my cheesecakes with just the classic hint of vanilla from vanilla extract. I also must have over beaten it because mine completely puffed up and cracked all over the top so definitely take note when doing that step. Overall it was an okay cheesecake but just too sweet.
Hi Nani, delicious cheesecake, only issue this time, it’s still runny, where would I have gone wrong?
Hope Dozer is well
I have made this cheesecake twice, it has come out perfectly but I do find it too sweet. I forgot that so accidentally made it a 2nd time. I’ve made cheesecake a fair bit over the years it’s a favourite in our house. I have followed the instructions about switching off the oven before it’s completely done to avoid cracking and and leaving it in the oven to cool.and that has made the cheesecakes more moist. But this, recipe is just too sweet for me.
First time baking a cheese cake this recipe is excellent
Hi Nagi,
THIS IS DARN DELICIOUS! 🙂
I hadn’t made a cheesecake since I was 12 years old and had forgotten how much fun it is to smash those biscuits with a rolling pin!
I’d like to share that I made mine with Lakanto brand monk fruit replacement caster sugar – 0% sugar which I only just discovered. Nobody could tell except my wallet – available in Woolies baking isle.
I followed your instructions exactly and would not change a thing – although next time, I will make more of the crumb to get the thickness of the wall in your photo (used 20cm/8″ cake tin).
I was so proud of this cake that I took a photo to look like yours (half of my crumb wall was thicker) – but it nearly took me as long as baking the cake to approximate your image, lol! 🙂
Thank you for another wonderful recipe! x
Thank you Nagi This recipe is definitely a family & friends favourite. Soo smooth and creamy (not heavy) and you can make customisations which suits such as adding some biscoff biscuit into the crust or taking out the lemon zest. Yummm!
Hello My daughter made your cheese cake for my Birthday. It was melt in the mouth.
Hi Nagi,
Any storage tips? How long can the cheesecake be stored?
I’m assuming it should be stored in the fridge?
How many days in advance can this be made and sit in the fridge? I am having a dinner party and have a lot of items to prep and cook for. TIA
Hello!!
If I want to turn this into a ricotta cheesecake, what variations should I make?
Thanks!
Has anyone made this recipe using egg replacer?
I rarely leave comments under recipe but this was wow!
I brought it to a family gathering and everyone loved it!
I was looking for ages for an NY dense rich and smooth chesse cake with out a kilo of cream cheese and this is it!
Instead of sour cream I put a mix of cream cheese and greec yogurt, and I put some coconut oil in the crust because I didn’t have enough butter.
10/10 thank you for the recipe!
Hi Nagi. Just put this in the oven and remembered that in Recipe notes 3 it mentions lemon juice or water but, there’s no mention of either in the actual recipe. Should l be worried? Thanks.
I think the water or lemon juice is for the strawberry topping if you make that to put on top. I think this recipe may have been cut and pasted from the strawberry one.
Thanks Chelsea. I think you’re probably right as the cheesecake came out fine and what you said makes the most sense.
This cheesecake is a wonderful recipe.
It is delicious and my family now think I am a fantastic cook!!
I already have a request to make it again for my daughter’s Birthday.
And maybe to just make it again soon as it was so yum.
My mom’s used to look like 2 layers. Bottom, main portion was a light yellow. The top, thinner portion was more of a white. This one different. I’m a guy. Not a great baker. Wondering how she was doing it
i made this yesterday. Tasted amazing, however it shrunk after cooling. Is this normal?
My springform pan is 10” is it possible to adjust the recipe to make a larger size?
Hi can I do this without the water bath I dont have a big enough pan
Top notch cheesecake and so easy. I changed it up (because I’m a rebel) and used chocolate digestive biscuits and smothered the finished cake in salted caramel sauce, topped with popcorn and pretzels. Your website is my first choice for recipes, thank you.
Me too! First place I go for a new recipe, and this classic cheesecake was a hit! Easy as, and the lemon 🍋 flavour was fantastic!